Machine for shaping shoe uppers



June 17, l930. E. E. ROWE MACHINE FOR SHAPI NG SHOE UPPERS Filed Nov.27, 1926 Patented June 17, 1930 UNETEE STATEfi PATENT crates EDGAR E.ROWE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERYCORPORATION OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY MACHINEFOB SHAPING SHOE UPPERS Application filed November 27, 1926. SerialNo.151,203.

This invention relates to machines for shaping shoe upper materials overa form or last, and is herein illustrated in its application to meansfor lasting the heel end portion of a shoe of the stitchdown type; It isto be understood, however, that in some of its aspects the invention isnot limited in utility to means for operating upon shoes ofthatparticular type.

In the manufacture of some kinds of stitch down shoes the margin of theheel end portion of the upper materials is formed to exmargin of theupper in front of the heel seatis turned outwardly inthe mannercharacteristic of shoes of the stitchdown type, the margin of the upperbeing cut or slit at the junction of the inturned and outturned portionsat each side of the shoe. For shaping the heel'end portion of the uppermaterials of a shoe of this kind it is convenient tomake use of anupper-forming or lasting machinefor example, a machine of the typeillustrated in United States Letters Patent 7 No. 1,588,044, granted onMay 4, 1926, upon an application of Charles H. Hoyt. It is an object ofthis invention to provide in such a machine means for cutting orslitting the margin of the upper, thus eliminating the need for the useof a hand knife as customary heretofore, and thereby economizing in timeand labor as well as insuring accuracy and uniformity in the location ofthe slits in the upper. Machines of the type shown in theabove-mentioned patent are provided with mechanism for drivingfastenings to fasten the margin of the upper to the insole, and in theembodiment of the invention herein illustrated devices for cutting orslitting the margin of the upper are carried by the fastening mechanismand are so arranged as to form slits in the margin at the opposite sidesof the shoe in locations substantially at the front end of the heel seatas the fastenings are driven. The operative movement of the cuttingdevices isthus transverse to the plane of the insole; and the inventionfurther provides means for limiting the depth of the cut by engagementwith the shoe materials. In order to avoid interference with the properdriving of the fastenings, the construction shown also includes ayielding connection between the driving means and the cutting means, sothat the driving means may continue its movement when movement of thecutting means is stopped.

The invention will now be more particularly described by reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view partly in frontelevation and partly in section showing a portion of a machine of thetype shown in the above-mentioned Letters Patent, with the presentinvention embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a front view of one of the sid driver bars detached, withupper-slitting means mounted thereon;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 isa perspective view of a shoe as it appears after the operationof the machine thereon.

The shoe shown in Fig. 4: to illustrate one of the uses of the inventionis a stitchdown shoe of that type in which a full-length insole a isutilized. The upper materials comprise a leather upper 12, a lining c,and a counter d, which may or may not be a previously molded counter,located between the lining and the upper. In accordance with the mode ofprocedure illustrated, the lining is completely lasted before theleather upper, and its marginis cementedto the insole. Thereafter theheel seat lasting operation is performed on the upper. For this purposethere may be conveniently utilized a machine of the type shown in theabove-mentioned patent. The shoe is mounted on a shoe support 10, and bymovement of the shoe support is presented in operative relation to thelasting instrumentalities, the construction of which is more fully shownand described in said patent. In the operation of the machine the uppermaterials are clamped about the heel end by a heel band 12, and themargin of the upper is then wiped inwardly over the heel seat by meansof wipers 14. In this operation the margin of the counter also is wipedinwardly if an unmolded counter is used; otherwise the upper is wipedinwardly over the previously molded counter flange. For fastening themargin of the upper materials in overwiped position, there are providedabout the heel end of the shoe a plurality of fastening devices whichare moved inwardly over the shoe bottom into proper position for drivingthe several fastenings, for example, lasting tacks. There are shown inFig. 1 the fastening oevices which operate at the sides of the shoeadjacent to the front end of the heel seat, these devices comprisingcarriers 16 which are moved laterally of the shoe into upper-fasteningposition. Mounted in the carriers 16 for operative movements indirections transverse to the plane of the heel seat are driver bars 18provided with tack drivers 20 which drive tacks from tack pockets orholders 22 through the margin of the upper materials and into theinsole. It will be noted that the driver bars 18 are movable indirections somewhat inclined to the plane of the insole, so that thetacks are driven in inwardly inclined directions.

For purposes of this invention there is mounted on each of the frontdriver bars 18 a device for forming a slit or cut in the margin of theupper transversely of its edge, comprising a knife holder 24; and aknife or cutter 26 mounted thereon. It will be observed that while thecutter 26 extends in the same inclined direction as the driver bar 18,its cutting edge is so formed as to extend in substantially parallelrelation to the plane of the insole and is of such length as to slit theupper from its inner edge outwardly as far as the edge of the shoebottom. The cutters 26 are thus arranged to slit the upper in locationssubstantially at the front end of the heel seat, and, as illustrated inFig. 4, somewhat in the rear of the front ends of the inturned flange ofthe counter d. It is desirable that the cutters 26 cut only through thethickness of the leather upper, and the lower end of each knife holder 21 is therefore provided with a shoulder 28 for engaging the upper tolimit the depth of the cut. By means of a slot 30 formed a in the knife26 co-operating with a guiding pin and a clamping screw 34: on theholder 2 1,. the cutter26 is adjustably mounted so that. its cuttingedge may be always positioned at adistance below the shoulder 28substantially equal to the thickness of the upper.

In order that the means for limiting the movement of the cutter 26 maynot interfere with-the proper driving of the tacks,

3: each holder 24 is movably mounted 011 its driver bar 18, so that thedriver bar may continue its movement after movement of the cuttingdevice is stopped by engagement of the shoulder 28 with the upper. Forthis i 2 purpose the holder 2 i-has a projection tliereon slidablymounted in a guideway 36 in the driver bar 18 and is provided with slots38 tln'ougli which screws 40 extend into the driver bar for retainingthe holder slidably in place. Mounted in sockets in the driver bar 18and engaging an offset portion of the holder are springs 4-2 which areof sufficient strength not to yield in the cutting operation but onlyafter the shoulder 28 at the lower end of the holder 24- has engaged theupper.

It will thus be seen that there is provided means which actsautomatically in the upper-fastening operation to form a slit in themargin of the upper in front of the row of heel seat fastenings at eachside of the shoe, substantially at the front end of the heel seat, sothat the margin of the upper in front of the heel seat may be turnedoutwardly in the manner characteristic of stitehdown shoes.

lVhile the invention is illustrated by reference to the manufacture of ashoe provided with a full-length insole, it is a wellknown fact thatshoes of the stitchdown type are sometimes made with a part which hasthe function of an insole at the heel end of the shoe but extendsforwardly only for a portion of the length of the shoe, and it isaccordingly to be understood that the term insole is used in the claimsis not to be construed as necessarily limited to a fulllength insolesuch as shown in the draw ings.

Having described the invention. what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a machine of the classdescribed, the combination with means for shaping the margin of the heelend of a shoe upper to produce an inturned flange, and means fordrivingv fastenings to fasten said flange to an insole, of mechanismmounted in predetermined relation to said driving means for formingslits in the margin of the upper in front of said fastenings at definitedistances from the fastenings to permit the margin in front of the slitsto be turned outwardly.

2. In a machine of the class described, the con'ibination with wipersfor wiping the margin of the heel end of a shoe upper inwardly over aninsole, and means for fastening the upper to the insole, of mechanismoperative in automatically determined time relation to said fasteningmeans to form slits in the margin of the upper substantially at thefront end of the heel seat.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means forshaping over a form the heel end portion of upper materials comprising aleather upper, a counter and a lining, of automatic means arranged tooperate substantially at the front end of the heel seat to form slits inthe margin of the upper only.

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means forshaping over a form the heel end portion of upper materials comprising aleather upper, a counter and a lining, and for wiping the margin of theupper inwardly to produce an inturned portion lying over an inturnedflange of the counter, of mechanism arranged to form, in the margin ofthe upper only, slits located substantially at the front end of the heelseat at the rear of the front ends of the counter flange.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means forshaping the margin of the heel end of a shoe upper to produce aninturned flange, of cutters arranged to cut the margin of the upper ateach side substantially at the front end of the heel seat, and meansassociated with said cutters for limiting the depth of the cut byengagement with the shoe materials.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means forshaping over a form the heel end portion of upper materials comprising aleather upper, a counter and a lining, of cutters movable to cut themargin of the upper at each side substantially at the front end of theheel seat, and means movable with said cutters into engagement with theupper to limit the depth of the cut to the thickness of the upper.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means forshaping the margin of the heel end of a shoe upper to produce aninturned flange, and means for driving fastenings to fasten said flangeto an insole, of mechanism carried by said driving means for slittingthemargin of the upper substantially at the front end of the heel seat.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means forshaping the margin of the heel end of a shoe upper to produce aninturned flange, and means for driving fastenings to fasten said flangeto an insole, of cutters carried by said driving means for slitting themargin of the upper at each side substantially at the front end of theheel seat, and means movable with said cutters for limiting the depth ofthe cut by engagement with the shoe materials, the cutters beingyieldably connected to the driving means to permit said driving means tocontinue its movement when the movement of the cutters is stopped. V

9. In a machine of the class described, the

combination with means for wiping the mar-' gin of the heel end of ashoe upper inwardly over a form, and tackers movable inwardly intopositions for driving upper-fastening tacks in predetermined relationto'the edge of the shoe bottom, of cutters movable with said tackersinto positions determined by the tackers for slitting the inturnedmargin of the upper in predetermined relation to the edge of the shoebottom in the tack-driving operation.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination withshoe-positioning means, of means for driving a fastening to fasten themargin of the shoe upper to the insole, and a cutter controlled by saiddriving means for slitting the margin of the upper.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination withshoe-positioning means, of a driver bar for driving a fastening tofasten the margin of the shoe upper to the insole, and a cutter carriedby said driver bar for slitting the margin of the upper simultaneouslywith the driving of a fastening.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination withshoe-positioning means, of a driver bar for driving a fastening tofasten the margin of the shoe upper to the insole, and a cutter carriedby said driver bar for slitting the margin of the upper, said cutterbeing yieldingly controlled to permit the driver bar to continue itsmovement when movement of the cutter is stopped.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination withshoe-positioning means, of a driver bar for driving a fastening tofasten the margin of the shoe upper to the insole, and means carried bysaid driver bar for cut ting the margin of the upper and also forengaging the shoe materials to limit the depth of the cut, said meansbeing yieldingly mounted on the driver bar to prevent it Igroin limitingthe driving movement of said 14;. In a machine of the class described,the combination with a shoe-positioning means, of a driver bar fordriving a fastening to fasten the margin of the shoe upper to theinsole, a cutter holder carried by said driver bar and movable thereonin directions substantially parallel to the direction of the operativemovement of said bar, a cutter on said holder for cutting the margin ofthe upper, said holder having a shoulder thereon for engaging the upperto limit the depth of the cut, and spring means controlling said cutterand holder yieldable' to permit the driver bar to continue its movementwhen A movement of the cutter is stopped.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to th1s specificatlon.

EDGAR E. ROWE.

